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William Foster
in 2008]] engine "Sir William" FW 1917 at Shugborough Hall Rally 2008]] William Foster & Co Ltd was an agricultural machinery company based at Lincoln, Lincolnshire, UK and usually just called "Fosters of Lincoln". The company was known for producing threshing machines, regarded as among the best available. They also made traction engines, steam tractors such as the Foster Wellington and Showman's road locomotives, as well as Steam Wagons. The last showmans engine built by fosters were No. 14632 Success in and No, 14634 Princess Marina a 7 nhp design.Steam Traction Engine During the First World War they built the first tanks for the British Army. The Tank Fosters as builders of agricultural machinery were involved in the production and design of the prototype tanks, which were in effect agricultural tractors with armoured bodies. After the First World War, The Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors decided that the inventors of the Tank were Sir William Tritton, managing director of Fosters together with Major W G Wilson. Steam Engines Fosters MERL entry: Products: Traction engines, portable engines, grinding mills, thrashing machines, chaff cutters, tanks. History: William Foster began his business career as a flour miller, but in 1856 he took the decision to convert his premises into a foundry and engineering shop. Foster began by producing grinding mills, but he soon expanded his product range to include thrashing machines, chaff cutters and portable steam engines. William Foster died of typhoid in 1876, but the company which he founded continued to prosper and by the outbreak of the First World War the Wellington Foundry employed 350 people. During the war the company made a vital contribution to the Allied cause by developing and manufacturing the world's first tank. In 1927 Foster & Co. took over the Hammersmith-based pump manufacturer Gwynnes Engineering and three years later pump production was transferred to Lincoln. Over the next few decades the company moved away from the production of agricultural machinery and concentrated on pumps. In 1960 Foster & Co. was acquired by W H Allen & Co. Ltd and the company began trading as Allen Gwynnes Pumps Ltd. Sadly, the new company did not prosper and the Wellington Foundry closed in 1968. Steam Wagons They also manufactured steam lorries (wagons). Preserved Machinery Please add any missing engines details to the list. - 7 hp tractor of 1920 "Sprig" at Cromford Steam Rally]] Several examples of there engines are in UK preservation and can be seen at shows during the summer. They are not as common as some of the other makes. *Photos of a foster wagon as well as all other makes at steam rallies in the UK See also *History of the tank on wikipedia *List of Named Vehicles * List of Vehicles by registration number References / sources Wikipedia for original summary *MERL Database for more detail *Old Glory Magazine for features on Foster engines. External links *Merl entry *Steam scene web site http://www.steamscenes.org.uk/resources/genlinks.html Category:Agricultural machinery Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Steam Category:Steam engines Category:Steam Lorries Category:Steam tractors Category:Companies founded in 1856 Category:1960 disestablishments Category:Threshing Machines Category:Steam machinery manufacturers Category:Foster